BOYS OF THE NIGHT - CHAPTER #10



Brian woke up in the sleeping cabin hours later to find that it was late evening. The dream he'd had was still weighty on his mind, still haunting him. He smelled the air, sensing Howie's presence nearby. It was coming from the bunk above him. He must be asleep up there, Brian thought to himself.
Careful not make any sound, he pushed back the privacy curtain and saw from the window opposite him that they were moving. Heading to their last tour date of the summer - Cleveland. They'd skipped it on the way up to NY and put it off for a month, agreeing that they'd hit it on the way back down to Orlando.
He sat up and yawned, his fangs involuntarily unsheathing themselves as his mouth gaped in exhaustion. Brian rubbed his eyes with a balled fist and stretched the other arm out behind him, uncramping it. He smiled at the very thought of sleeping in his own bedroom, not on a bus in a cheap bunkbed. He heard Howie snore and mumble, tossing and turning right above his head. Brian had to stifle a laugh as he recalled how they all used to talk to him in his sleep, and had actually gotten a reply once or twice.
Wondering where the others were, he stood and quietly walked into the small living room through the doorway. He slid the paneled wood door shut and listened for the tell-tale click it always made when it was completely closed. He felt much better now; his strength was up from Kevin's potent blood. But despite the fact that he was now fine, he knew in his mind that he couldn't look the other way about his weak heart for much longer. What if that had happened on stage? What would he have done then? Or at home? In front of his family? Afterall, they only believed that it was an act of God that he'd survived the surgery and that now, he was healed. Even his regular doctors knew nothing about his condition.
Finally, he turned around to see AJ lounging on the little couch in front of the bright TV. All the lights were off, leaving only the blaring appliance to brighten the compartment.
AJ looked up, his wraparounds still on. "Yo, Kev. He's up." With that, he turned back to the show he was watching, showing no signs of concern for his fellow bandmate.
Kevin walked out of the kitchen, drying off a plate in one hand with a dish rag. Brian smiled at the familiar lanky figure before him.
"Hey, Cos."
Kevin didn't answer, but looked his relative up and down, his piercing eyes scanning him for any giveaways of illness.
"How do you feel?" he asked after the quick inspection.
"I feel... like hell," Brian replied, keeping the weak smile on his face, trying to reassure his cousin. "Actually, a lot better. Thanks bud. Ya know, for saving my ass." He punched Kevin playfully in the arm, reminding him that he was still his big brother.
Kevin smiled back, his face seeming to glow at Brian's light-heartedness. "No prob. Why didn't you tell me that your... condition was getting worse?"
"It wasn't. That was a first," he lied, gritting his teeth as he remembered how many times he'd passed out in that month alone.
Kevin looked at him blankly. If there was one thing Brian had to pin-point about Kevin that he hated, it would've been the fact that he couldn't read his mind. Or his eyes. Kevin had a very cold face. As if he was playing Poker all the time. He was experienced at blocking out other vampires prying telepathic waves.
They stood there for a few seconds, neither making a move to say anything. Finally, Brian broke the gaze and turned to AJ.
"So Bone, what's up?"
AJ sighed, annoyed. "Nothing. Does it look like anything is 'up'? Huh? Does it? You fucking snitch.."
"AJ," Kevin scolded, his eyes harshly staring in his direction.
The Gangrel smiled sweetly at his mate. "Kevin...," he returned with sarcasm. Their eyes met and locked, and then both looked away, not wanting another confrontation. Earlier, after they made sure Brian would live, they'd had the talk about AJ's excessive killing spree. It had not gone over well, resulting in a vicious fight, leaving a path of hurt feelings and unresolved anger in its wake.
"We're skipping Cleveland," Kevin said plainly.
"Why?" Brian asked.
"Maybe, hmm, could it be because you almost died today???" AJ growled back. Ignoring him, Brian continued.
"Where is Nick?" the Nosferatu asked, afraid of the answer.
"He, uh... said something about staying in NY for a couple of days... meeting us in Florida... to see family up there," he said, walking back to the kitchen, drying the wet plate gently.
"Oh," was all Brian could say. The color, which was just now beginning to return to his face, drained with thought of what Nick was really doing back in the Big Apple. His cousin turned and chuckled.
"What? Does that upset you? Don't worry - he's a big kid. He can take care of himself."
"It's not taking care of himself, it's who he's taking care of...," Brian mumbled under his breath as he went to go to the small bathroom. He felt like he was going to be sick.
"What? What did you say, Bri?" Kevin said loudly over the running water from the faucet.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" He replied cheerily, as he cringed.

Once in the tiny bathroom, he slammed the door shut and pulled out his cell phone, sitting on the toilet seat lid. He frantically pushed in the numbers to Nick's pager. He leaned his head back against the wall happily, as the beep told him his message got through. He looked skyward and once again prayed for Nick to return to him with a call too. Brian stood and opened the door, walking past AJ to the kitchen.
"Dammit! Move!" he hissed, his voice resonating with anger. This gave Brian even more incentive to walk slower in front of the TV. AJ leaned around him, eager to see the show he was watching. Brian smiled fakely at his 'friend' and walked past.

He walked into the tiled kitchen, where he had once been dying, and waltzed up to the little refrigerator, a concerned look on his face now. It was setting in that Nick, his little innocent Nick, was off right now, killing some girl that he claimed he was in love with. Nick's serious words played over and over again in his head - "I'm not joshing you. This is for real, Bri..."
He grabbed the carton of milk off the top shelf and settled down at the table, only to feel that he'd sat on something. He stood up and looked down at his chair. Brian's face dropped as he realized he was looking at Nick's blue pager...